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When Should High-Frequency Ventilation Be Considered?

Kelly Massa, BHS, RRT-NPS

November 1, 2024

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Question

When should high-frequency ventilation be considered?

 

Answer

High-frequency ventilation should be considered in various clinical scenarios, particularly when conventional ventilation settings become excessive or potentially harmful.

  • Excessive Conventional Ventilation: When conventional settings require very high peak inspiratory pressures and plateau pressures (≥ 30-35 cmH2O) and the patient's pH remains below 7.1, indicating significant acidosis.
  • Avoiding Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury (VILI): High-frequency ventilation helps reduce alveolar damage caused by large positive pressure swings, providing a safer alternative to conventional methods.
  • Lung Recruitment and Prophylactic Use: It is beneficial for lung recruitment in cases like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and is used prophylactically in extremely low birth weight neonates or infants born before 26 weeks gestation.
  • Specific Conditions: High-frequency ventilation is also indicated for patients with air leak syndrome, meconium aspiration, persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN), and pediatric ARDS.

By mitigating the risks associated with conventional ventilation and providing targeted respiratory support, high-frequency ventilation plays a crucial role in managing critically ill patients in the NICU and PICU settings.

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, MD Flavor of the Month…High Frequency Jet versus Oscillatory Ventilationpresented by Kelly Massa, BHS, RRT-NPS.


kelly massa

Kelly Massa, BHS, RRT-NPS

Kelly Massa graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2008. She started her career at Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Delaware, where she joined the CMO and Cardiac OR team and then became the PICU Clinical Lead. In her role as the PICU Lead, she enjoyed providing education not only to RTs but to nurses and physicians as well on mechanical ventilation and other Respiratory topics. Her love of educating and research landed her the current role of Clinical Instructor and Research Coordinator. Since in this role, Kelly has submitted over 30 abstracts to the AARC as well as multiple manuscripts. Kelly also enjoys volunteering her time presenting talks with ICON Academy and at AARC Congress and providing care during medical mission trips to Nigeria. 


Related Courses

MD Flavor of the Month…High Frequency Jet versus Oscillatory Ventilation
Presented by Kelly Massa, BHS, RRT-NPS
Video

Presenter

Kelly Massa, BHS, RRT-NPS
Course: #2122Level: Intermediate1 Hour
  'GREAT CONTENT!'   Read Reviews
High-frequency ventilation can be a challenge to set up, especially for those who use it infrequently. This course helps equip the learner with an understanding of the differences between the HFOV and HFJV ventilators and how to initiate/troubleshoot both.

It's Your Favorite... Ventilator Graphics!
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  'Explanations with the graphics demonstrated'   Read Reviews
Review the basics of ventilator waveforms, including time scalars and loops. Discuss interventions with abnormal waveforms.

Mechanical Ventilation Weaning in Pediatric Patients
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Children can be safely and efficiently weaned from mechanical ventilation and then successfully extubated. This introductory course reviews weaning guidelines and methods during the various phases of mechanical ventilation.

High Frequency Jet Ventilation (HFJV): What, Why, When, and How
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Evan Richards, Advanced Practice Clinical Consultant, BSc, RT
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  'The course was well organized as well as the instructors lecture'   Read Reviews
This lecture will detail what HFJV is, why you should use it, when you should apply it, and how to utilize it once it is applied.

Micropreemies: The New NICU Reality
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The edge of viability for premature babies has dropped to 22 weeks. This lecture will describe the complexities of ventilating the tiniest lungs and highlight studies that support HFJV.

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